We Were Skeletons

The candour of intent is a beautiful thing. However, when a band fail to match their resolutions with effectively inventive or unique music, it's difficult to admire their efforts. To be blunt, with this devoutly technical screamo ― as in, decidedly Hot Cross ― We Were Skeletons nail every aspect, from recording quality (crisp, but not overly clean) to energy (songs sound alive and passionate) and dynamics (low/high/low verses, choruses and bridges are perfectly measured/balanced). Unfortunately, while all of these aspects are present and accounted for, the band's inherent juvenility hampers the execution. Listening to these nine tracks, one can't escape the feeling of how it took DaVinci multiple stabs to finally get what he was looking for with The Mona Lisa. We Were Skeletons is one of those underlying layers: great, but just not there yet. We want to adore it, but each tune is a touch too derivative and unnervingly familiar to completely win us over. At that, the affair needs a bit more work and experimentation to find its voice before becoming a power unto itself. Still, it's a shit heap better than the uninventive, impotent music bands of this genre typically regurgitate.